Ottawa Redblacks defensive lineman, Ettore Lattanzio, found out about his dad's stomach cancer a year ago. The former power lifter, whose weight has dropped from 220 pounds to 160, was told he had three months to live.Julie Oliver / Postmedia

A year ago, doctors gave Ettore Lattanzio’s dad Rosario a death sentence, telling him he had three months to live.

While Rosario has been beaten down, nearly killed a few times, by stomach cancer, he vowed to his wife Stella, to his son Ettore and to his two daughters Sonia and Tessia that he wouldn’t quit. Going through his 12th round of chemotherapy this week, Rosario, who turns 56 in November, is a fighter.

“When he was a kid, the first Rocky movie stuck with him … it’s his favourite film,” said Ettore, a defensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks. “There’s a scene in the movie, Rocky says, ‘All I want to do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed.’ The distance, that’s 15 rounds. I said to my dad, ‘You’re on Round 11, doing 12 … get to 15, that’s the distance.’ He’s not one to roll over, he’s a tough guy.”

Outsmarting opponents 40 pounds larger than him is difficult enough, but when Ettore thinks about it, what he’s trying to do is nothing compared to the horrible disease the father he loves so much spars with every minute of every day.

Said Ettore: “Whenever there are days when I’m sore, maybe I’m not mentally all there, I think about him, ‘What’s he doing?’ Sure I’m tired, sure I’m sore, it’s tough, it’s the middle of the season. But compared to what’s he’s going through, you have to almost get annoyed with yourself. ‘What are you complaining about?’ It pushes me and helps me get my mind right. He said, ‘I’m not going to quit, don’t worry. I’m not going to roll over. I’m not going to let it control me.’

“Yes, I’ve cried, but I keep a lot of it bottled up. I shared it with some of the guys. When I heard the news, I couldn’t hide it. I was depressed. I broke down a few times. I’m not afraid to show my emotions. It is what it is.”

The Rosario Lattanzio story is filled with multi-layered chapters — there’s love, respect, tenacity and inspiration – a man who once set Canadian powerlifting records gritting his teeth and doing what doctors said he couldn’t do. Each day is precious in a story that inevitably won’t have a happy ending.

“When I saw him at his worst, it was horrible,” said Ettore. “To see a guy who went from benchpressing 425 pounds in competition to where he can’t even walk up the stairs or get off the couch, you think, ‘Really?’ He’s a proud man and the fact he can’t do a lot of things that he used to love to do, it’s definitely been tough on him. It’s been devastating to all of us.”

The family grew up on Young St., not far from Preston. Rosario works for AMJ Campbell, where he’s a commercial salesman for the moving company.

“He’s a very old-school Italian guy,” said Ettore. “He was raised tough, he’s raised me tough and that’s what’s helped me get to where I am. Let’s be honest, I’m not the prototypical lineman. He’s instilled toughness and discipline in me. He’s always, always taught me to treat people with respect and be an honest person.”

Once 220 pounds, Rosario now weighs about 165.

“He’s got no muscle mass left, the weight’s in his stomach now,” said Ettore. “He’s been having such a hard time breathing. He can’t walk to the kitchen, maybe five metres away, without gassing out.”

Rosario was finally diagnosed with cancer after having health issues for about a year.

“Any time he thought it might be cancer, the doctor said he wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms of stomach cancer,” said Ettore.

A great uncle died a few years ago, as it turns out also from stomach cancer. Ettore and his two sisters will be tested in the coming months.

“By the time he found out, it was almost too late,” said Ettore. “The doctor who scoped him said he’d probably had it for a few years, but it was a very slow-growing mass. By the time they started to treat it, he was already metastasized. They gave us no hope. The doctors were sure he wouldn’t make it.

“He’s had a lot of complications. He had a blood clot in his aorta. It had broken off and started to shut down his lower organs about six months ago. They sent him to the hospital. Most people don’t come back from that, but he was able to survive it.”

Through this all, the family has become stronger; they had to. Stella took leave from her job at Scotiabank, where she’s a teller.

“My mom’s really held the fort down,” said Ettore. “My dad’s a powerful man, but behind every powerful man, there’s a powerful woman. She’s stepped up to the plate and gone above and beyond her duties. It’s almost ironic because my grandmother, her mother, had to take care of my grandfather when he got sick later in his life. She’s doing a lot of what her mother did. You can see the apple doesn’t far from the tree. She’s a beautiful wife. She still has a spark in her. Yeah, it’s tough. He’s her best friend.”

Getting a ringside seat for his dad’s battle has weighed on Ettore, but he’s still been able to turn on the switch for game days. Last week, in a 29-23 loss to the B.C. Lions, the Gee-Gees product had two sacks and would have had a third if it hadn’t been wiped out by an Ottawa penalty. Rosario was there at TD Place, the first game he’s been able to attend this season.

“Most of the worst news I’ve received is either the day of a game or the day before,” said Ettore. “I’ve had to internalize that and fight for him.”

“It’s obviously a very emotional thing for (Ettore),” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell. “I can’t imagine what he’s going through. I’m proud of him. He not only loves practice every day, but he loves living life every day. It’s a good example to all of us — to make the most out of every day.”

As one day blends into another, Rosario selflessly wants those around him to focus on their own lives. It speaks volumes as to his character, to the values of a proud family.

Said Ettore: “He tells me every day, ‘I’m still fighting, don’t worry about me. Focus on football. Focus on you.’ Every day is a blessing. You can’t look too far ahead because you never know. He almost died a few times with some of these complications. So it comes down to enjoying every moment you can get.”

Undersized Lattanzio embraces underdog status

For years, Ettore Lattanzio was told he was too small to play on the defensive line.

For years, he’s proven doubters wrong. Anybody judging the 25-year-old, 252-pounder hasn’t taken into account the size of his heart or the motor that keeps his wheels rolling.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who drafted Lattanzio in the fifth round, 38th overall, in 2015, were the latest to make a mistake, releasing him last June. Quickly snapped up by his hometown Redblacks, he has 16 tackles and three sacks in spot duty this season.

“He was asked initially in this league to play running back, then to put on weight to play D-tackle and take off weight to play D-end,” said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell. “Really, his true position is D-tackle. He made a decision to dedicating himself to being the best D-tackle he can be. He’s a guy who truly loves to play the game and he’s 100 miles an hour every play.”

A star for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Lattanzio, often double- and triple-teamed, had 31 sacks in his OUA career. In 2014, he won the J.P. Metras Trophy as the country’s top college football lineman.

But still, they said, he was too small.

“I’m always going to be looked at as the underdog because of my size,” said Lattanzio. “But look at Doug Flutie, look at what he accomplished.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.